Postman prime suspect in parcel pilfering plot

A 19-year-old Cologne postman, plus his mother, and stepfather, who worked as sub-contractors for the German postal service, are suspected of stealing over 1,000 parcels.

The police, on the trail of the package-thieving family since February, raided a storage room in the nearby town of Bergisch Gladbach on Tuesday, where they found the mountain of packages. They had already searched an apartment in the Dellbrück district of Cologne.

The postie family had been paid to use their own vehicles to deliver packages for the Deutsche Post subsidiary DHL. According to a report in Bild newspaper, they had no idea what was in any of the parcels.

“The products were probably meant to be sold through Kölner Hehler, Ebay and other internet portals,” one investigator told the paper.

Those packages which have not been opened will be delivered by a DHL security firm, while police are hoping that customers will contact DHL or the police to claim other parcels that have been opened.

The suspects themselves claimed that they had bought all the products at a flea-market.

Your comments about this article

i suspect these are not the only ones working for DP and DHL who are thieving. I very seldom receive a large envelope or parcel from abroad that has not been tampered with in some way. It has got to the point now that I am amazed when I get post from abroad that does not have a little tear in the envelope where little eyes have had a little look-see.

Me two I have never received any package from the states that was not screwed with. even got a package that some one had been pulling on the clothes. I know because I know how my brother packs things nothing will move a mm unless it gets messed with. Have made several complaints but to no avail.

I suspect that it more about a fee or duty on the item. I also rarely receive a pkg from the States that has not been tampered with. I never thought that this was someone looking to steal the contents.I have never had that happen,yet.

A few times the DHL driver has rung my bell and needs to collect the duty for the item. I prefer this as opposed to a trip to the dreaded Zoll.

Mark Twain once said "if you want to see the dregs of society then go to the jail when they are changing the guard" I say go to Zoll.

The president of Germany's Council of Psychotherapists said on Tuesday that there was no reason why the country should loosen its rules on doctor-patient confidentiality in the wake of the Germanwings crash.
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